Hosiery



Patented Dec. 6, 1927-.

, UNITED STATES PATENT oFElcE.

l ORN E. DAKIN, OF MILTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

HOSIERY.

Application led October 19, 1925, Serial No. 63,398. Renewed August 4, 1927.

My invention relates to an improvement `in hosiery and particularly ladies hosiery,

`\` An object of my invention is to produce hosiery of silk or other material with a welt comprising two thicknesses of material having a stripe formed in the inner thickness and having openings of substantial size formed in the outer thickness opposite the stripe so that the stripe Awill not be seen in full from the front but will show through the openings formed in the outer thickness.

A further object of my invention is to materially increase the wearing qualities of hosiery having a welt of double thickness at the portion to receive the garter by forming the inner thickness of the welt of cotton or other material more wear resisting than silk while forming the outer thickness of silk.

A further object of my invention is to produce a hose which has additional features embodying beauty which may be formed upon the ordinary knitting machines and .which when completed is more durable,

strongand artistic than the usual hosiery.

With the` objects above indicated and other objects hereinafter described my invention consists in the construction andV combination of elements hereinafter described and claimed. 4 Referring to the drawings Y Figure 1 illustrates a stocking embodying i my invention.

Figure 2 isa vertical, sectional view of the upper part of the stocking showing the double layer of knitted fabric and the manner of attaching the end.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the stocking opened and placed in a flat ositon showing the manner of knitting the abrio.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of a modified form of stocking showing my invention and embodyin a picot edging along the top portion thereogf.

In the drawings, l indicates the usual lower portion of the stocking knitted in the usual manner. 2 indicates the Welt portion of the hose knitted integral with the lower portion.

In forming the welt portion of the stocking and the features embodying my invention I first knit preferably on a straight knitting machine two or more courses of any desired color of silk or other material. Next the thread is changed to a color or material desired with which to knit the balance of the welt. When, however, knitted fabric nearly dropping or otherwise, at desired intervals ,as

to form open spaces 4 of substantial size. Two additional courses are run after the row of open loops is made and the machine stopped. 'The knitted portion held by the welt bar is then folded over 3 and introduced upon needles of the machine so as to line up the colored stripe and the open stitches of loops or to cause these .two elements to register.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the color stripe 3 may be readily seen through the open spaces 4 in the form of an illusion; that is, in a faint interrupted line that gives the stocking a soft appearance as differentiated from the ordinary stripeline in general use.

If it isclesired to make the upper end of the welt more attractive a picot edge may be made therein. When half of the welt has been knit a few courses as shown rvin Figure 4 may be introduced therein to form a picot top on the finished hose at the extreme top where the fabric is folded over.

In knitting the welt on chiffon hosiery especially it is preferable to introduce as a portion thereof a section of knitted cotton or the like, because of the tendency of the hose supporter to tear the fabric. This cotton knitted portion is so arranged thatv when the welt has been properly knitted and folded over, said portion will form the upper inner section of the hose, leaving the outer part entirely of silk and thereby giving the effect of a hose entirely of silk. This cotton knitted portion takes the strain oftl the silk and does not materially effect the elasticity of the hose. In'thus forming the welt 2, there is provided a double layer of knitted fabric, the upper portion backed by a cotton reinforcement.

In knitting the stocking with its welt, two or more rows of stitches are knitted of silk of a distinctive color lto form the color band 3. Thethread is then changed to a thread not of a distinctive color and several inches i more courses are knitted. vThe machine is `then stopped and the Welts turned, the sinker loops held by the welt hooks being transferred to the knitting needles.

As this turning over of the welt -nally forms the 'inside of the hose it will be seen that the courses of fabric` of ra distinctive color will show through the openings 4 and be covered bythe threads between the l0 openings. This gives/ the hose a distinctive appearance. i Having thus described my invention, what 1Ic1aimis: i

1. A knit stockinghaving a body portion and a welt portionl lntegrally united with a body portion and Ffolded over on itself and 'united at its ends with the body portion, the upper part of the back fold of the welt being knit of material distinct from and more du- ,20 fable than that 0f which the remaining part of the welt and the body portion of the stock .ing are knit so as to form at the upper end of the stocking a reinforced band.

2. A method of knitting a stocking having a foot and leg portion and a welt, the\welt being formed by kitting a portion thereof of a different color fromthe remaining portion of the welt, so changing the stitches or loops i' at the lower'end of the `welt as to form a series of openings of substantial size, folding the colored knitted portion downwardly Vupon itselfto engage the needles at a point. to permit the coloredv knitted portion to register with said openings, and knitting said portion into the leg portion.

3. A method of knitting a stocking having a foot and a leg portion and a welt, the

welt being formed by knitting a portion thereof of a different color from the remaining portion of the welt, knit-ting` thereto a portion of silk, then a portion of cotton, then a portion of silk equal to the portion of silk and cotton, so changing the loops or stitches at the lower end of the welt to form a series of openings of substantial size, folding the colored knitted portion downwardly upon vit- JOHN E. DAKIN. 

